Processing Trauma with EMDR: Day One

Content Note: trauma, EMDR, child abuse, sexual assault For more info on EMDR, talk with your therapist or visit this page. We decided to incorporate Eye Movcement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) into my therapy. Time has been the major cconstraint, so I’m documenting on my blog as a record for myself. Previously, my therapist had […]

How to request Toys for Tots in Western Pennsylvania in 2019

Toys for Tots Pennsylvania

This is our annual (7+ year) round-up of Toys for Tots programs in Western Pennsylvania for 2019. I’ve done my best to sort through the available information and provide you what you may need to know. PLEASE click through to the applicable link to doublecheck the details. I will update as information becomes available. Some […]

Pittsburgh Public Schools Struggle to Protect LGBTQ Students from Christian Bullies #SpiritDay

SPirit Day Pittsburgh

Today is Spirit Day: Spirit Day is a means of speaking out against LGBTQ bullying and standing with LGBTQ youth, who disproportionately face bullying and harassment because of their identities. Pledging to “go purple” on Spirit Day is a way for everyone — forward-thinking companies, global leaders, respected celebrities, neighbors, parents, classmates, and friends — […]

Black Trans Woman Brianna ‘BB’ Hill, 30, was Murdered in Kansas City this week

Brianna Hill transgender Breonna Hill

Please be sure to read the notes at the bottom of this post regarding updated information on deaths of our neighbors whose identities are unconfirmed or the cause of death is not yet determine to be suspicious. There are some discrepencies in the numbers being reported. I don’t claim to be exactly right, but I […]

Q&A with Drew Leigh Williams, Currently Starring in ‘Not Medea’ at Carnegie Stage

Drew Leigh Williams

“We often have feelings out of frustration and being overwhelmed and life in general that generate moments of wishing we could be free of our responsibilities, such as toward our kids or family. It doesn’t mean we want to be free of them. It means we are  human. These feelings are universal and stretch back […]

Vincent, 54, is a Nonbinary Transmasculine & Queer Asian Pacific Islander in Pittsburgh #AMPLIFY

As an elderly Queer person, I chronically worry about and struggle with poverty and homelessness. And I’m aware that there are a lot of local Queer and Trans folks who are homeless or struggling with food insecurity. Name: Vincent Age: 54 County of Residence: Allegheny County, previously San Francisco Pronouns: He/Him & They/Them How do you describe your […]

E! The Dragnificent Reviews Werq the World in Pittsburgh VIDEO

E! The Dragnificent

Our drag correspondent, E! The Dragnificent, went to the Werq the World show last night in Pittsburgh and shared her thoughts via Instagram (mama managed.)  You may remember that she was part of our Q&A with Aquaria and also wrote a powerful essay about drag culture. You can follow E (on mama managed accounts) Insta: […]

Ellen owes the Dixie Chicks an apology

While I’m not particularly surprised that Ellen Degeneres continues to lose touch with the experience of typical queer folks, I was dismayed by her comments defending her friendship with former President George W Bush. “We’re all different and I think that we’ve forgotten that that’s okay that we’re all different … but just because I […]

The loneliness of October

Trauma and Loneliness

Content Note: depression, trauma, sexual violence The last time I saw a friend in person by choice was September 22, 2019. That was three weeks ago, a probably unhealthy amount of time without socializing. And I have zero plans to change that pattern. This loneliness, this self-imposed isolation, is not new to me, but my […]

Visibility in Coming Out, Both Quietly and Publicly #NationalComingOutDay

Yep I'm Gay

I had an idea to explore an important question around coming out – the need for visibility and representation by publicly out folks in all industries, occupations, walks of life balanced against the very personal decisions we make to come out. I wrote about this in 2015 regarding the workforce of the City of Pittsburgh. […]